Exerciseing device for lower-body

ABSTRACT

A lower body exercise device for use in a sitting position includes a base plate ( 10 ) placed on a floor; pivot frame portions ( 20   a  and  20   b ) having first ends which are pivotably coupled to one end of the base plate ( 10 ) and second ends to which pedal portions ( 22   a  and  22   b ) are attached; repulsive members ( 30   a  and  30   b ) installed between the base plate ( 10 ) and the pivot frame portions ( 20   a  and  20   b ) such that a pivot frame composed of the pivot frame portions ( 20   a  and  20   b ) can be pressed and pivoted toward the base plate ( 10 ) by external force and the repulsive members ( 30   a  and  30   b ) can upwardly bias the pivot frame to an original position when the external force is removed; and pedal force adjustment means ( 40 ) for adjusting pedal force of the pedal portions ( 22   a  and  22   b ) by varying elasticity of the repulsive members ( 30   a  and  30   b ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a lower body exercise device for use ina sitting position, which allows a user to take exercise in a room whilesitting on a chair, and more particularly, to a lower body exercisedevice for use in a sitting position, which allows a student, an officeworker, etc. involved in a sedentary lifestyle to frequently exerciselower body muscles and to stimulate acupoints on the sole of the footwhile sitting on a chair so that blood circulation and metabolism can bepromoted and various ill effects such as the deterioration of physicalstrength, the loss of concentration and weakened immunity due to lack ofexercise can be avoided, which, in particular, has a simplifiedconstruction and a decreased number of component parts so that thedevice can be fabricated and distributed at a reduced cost, and in whichthe relative positions of pedal portions constituting a pedal can beeasily changed in conformity with the size of a user's foot and the loadof exercise can be adjusted in various ways so that the device can becommonly used by several people.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, since students, office workers, etc. are involved in asedentary lifestyle almost all day long, various diseases can be causedin various bony and muscular system and in the internal organs due tolack of exercise. In particular, the lower body muscles are likely to beweakened, and in the case of females, smooth blood circulation betweenthe upper and lower bodies is likely to be deteriorated so that lowerbody obesity may be caused. Nevertheless, it is difficult for thestudents or office workers to arrange time in the daytime to go to ahealth club or go out to take exercise. Therefore, if the motions ineveryday life can be developed to exercise, it is possible to contributeto the promotion of health to some extent.

The conventional exercise devices for allowing a student or an officeworker to take exercise while sitting on a chair, which have beendisclosed in the art, include Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No.1996-0016858 (published on Jun. 17, 1996) entitled “Massage Apparatus”which is an electrically vibrated type foot massager, Korean UtilityModel Registration No. 284522 (registered on Jul. 23, 2002) entitled“Swivel Chair for Sports” in which a seating plate is eccentricallyrotated to exercise the waist, Korean Utility Model Registration No.341864 (registered on Feb. 3, 2004) entitled “The Foot to Press DownRoller” which is operated by placing both feet on finger-pressure platesand alternately pressing the finger-pressure plates, Korean UnexaminedPatent Publication No. 2004-0040985 (published on May 13, 2004) entitled“Finger-pressure Equipment” which is operated such that, by placing thefoot on a foot plate, finger-pressure protuberances are raised andlowered by a solenoid type actuator which is driven by electric power,to finger-press the sole of the foot, and Korean Unexamined PatentPublication No. 2004-0105527 (published on Dec. 16, 2004) entitled “AChair Having a Part for Finger-pressing Sole of Foot” in which a rodmember having rotation type finger-pressure protuberances is installedbetween the legs of a chair.

Since these conventional exercise devices are constructed to provide asimple massaging function or an amusement function, they cannot rendersubstantial exercise effects and therefore cannot aid in solving theproblems caused due to lack of exercise. Also, when performing massageusing electricity, since noise is generated, concentration on study oroffice work can be interfered with.

In order to cope with these problems, the present applicant disclosedKorean Patent No. 518924 (registered on Sep. 20, 2005) entitled “A LowerBody Exercising Device with Foot Massager.” In this device, because aplurality of pivot frame portions are pivotably installed on one end ofa base plate and compression coil springs are disposed between the pivotframe portions and the base plate, the number of parts increases. Also,a cover having the shape of a bellows made of rubber must be provided tocover the complicated internal construction, the manufacturing costincreases and the price of an end product is raised.

Further, the present applicant disclosed Korean Patent No. 720391(registered on May 15, 2007) entitled “An Exercising Device for LowerBody” which is obtained by modifying the device disclosed in KoreanPatent No. 518924 so that the construction is simplified and the numberof parts is minimized.

The device disclosed in Korean Patent No. 720391 is fabricated such thatthe relative positions of pedal portions can be changed in conformitywith the size of a user's foot. However, in order to change the relativepositions of the pedal portions, since the bolts or screw-type adjustorsattached to both sides of the pedal portions must be loosened and thentightened using a separate tool, inconvenience is caused. Also, becausethe fastened states of the adjustors are likely to be changed by therepeated use of the exercise device, the pedal portions are likely to befluctuated in forward and rearward directions.

In addition, in Korean Patent No. 720391, since the elastic force ofsprings for applying pedal force to the pedal portions cannot beadjusted, it is impossible to adjust a load of exercise in conformitywith a user's physical strength.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solvethe problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the presentinvention is to provide a lower body exercise device for use in asitting position, which allows the relative positions of pedal portionsconstituting a pedal to be easily changed in conformity with the size ofa user's foot and the load of exercise to be adjusted in conformity withthe user's physical strength.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lower bodyexercise device which ensures convenient use and easy adjustability ofexercise load and has a simplified construction and a decreased numberof component parts so that the fabrication cost can be reduced.

Technical Solution

In order to achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of thepresent invention, there is provided a lower body exercise device foruse in a sitting position, comprising a base plate placed on a floor;pivot frame portions having first ends which are pivotably coupled toone end of the base plate by a shaft and second ends to which pedalportions are attached; a plurality of repulsive members installedbetween the base plate and the pivot frame portions such that a pivotframe composed of the pivot frame portions can be pressed and pivotedtoward the base plate by application of external force and the repulsivemembers can upwardly bias the pivot frame to an original position whenthe external force is removed; and pedal force adjustment means foradjusting pedal force of a pedal composed of the pedal portions byvarying elasticity of the repulsive members.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the pedal portionis moved forward and rearward by a pedal adjustor so that relativepositions of the pedal portions can be changed to conform to a size of auser's foot. Also, the pedal adjustor comprises a movable elementflexibly coupled to a lower surface of the pedal portion, a nut securedto a lower portion of the movable element to be open in forward andrearward directions, and a thumb bolt installed to project out of a rearend of the pivot frame portion and threaded into the nut.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the exercisedevice further comprises a latch for holding the pivot frame portionsfolded to the base plate. The latch has grips formed on both widthwiseends thereof and an engagement panel formed on a widthwise middleportion thereof such that an engagement part formed on a lower surfaceof the rear end of the pivot frame portion can be engaged with theengagement panel, and is installed such that the latch can be moved inthe forward and rearward directions along guide grooves defined in alengthwise middle portion of the base plate; and slots are defined inthe base plate to extend in the forward and rearward directions suchthat the engagement part of the pivot frame portion can be insertedthrough the slots.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the pedal forceadjustment means comprises a fixing block into which first ends of therepulsive members are fitted, a bolt which is fastened to a rear end ofthe fixing block, a guide groove which is defined on a lower surface ofthe base plate, a hole which is perforated through a rear wall of theguide groove, and a thumb nut which is threaded with the bolt outside ofthe hole, such that the fixing block having the bolt fastened thereto ismoved in the forward and rearward directions in the guide groove byrotating the thumb nut.

Further, in order to achieve the above objects, according to anotheraspect of the present invention, there is provided a lower body exercisedevice for use in a sitting position, comprising a base plate; a fixedshaft horizontally supported by a front end of the base plate at araised position; pivot frames pivotably coupled to respective left andright ends of the fixed shaft; and torsion springs fitted on the fixedshaft and having both ends which are supported by the pivot frames andthe base plate such that the pivot frames can be held in a lifted state.

According to another aspect of the present invention, each of left andright pivot frames is composed of a first pivot frame portion which hasa relatively long length and a second pivot frame portion which has arelatively short length, a rear pedal portion is pivotably coupled to anupper surface of the first pivot frame portion so that a user's rearfootportion can be placed on the rear pedal portion, a front pedal portionis pivotably coupled to a rear upper surface of the second pivot frameportion so that the user's forefoot portion can be placed on the frontpedal portion, holes are defined through front ends of the first andsecond pivot frame portions such that a shaft bolt to be detachablycoupled to the fixed shaft is inserted through the holes, an externalthread is formed on a distal end of the shaft bolt, and an internalthread is formed in the fixed shaft.

According to another aspect of the present invention, finger-pressureprotuberances for stimulating acupoints on the sole of a foot areattached onto the rear and front pedal portions, and pressing force ofthe finger-pressure protuberances can be adjusted by varying elasticityof springs.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, elasticforce of the torsion spring, which is installed between first pivotframe portions and the base plate, can be adjusted in a multi-stepwisemanner by elastic force adjustment means which is arranged in the baseplate so that a load of exercise can be adjusted. The elastic forceadjustment means comprises a lever which has a handle attached to anupper end thereof and a pinion secured to a lower end thereof, and aslider which has a rack formed on one portion thereof to be meshed withthe pinion of the lever and a support part formed in the shape of stepson the other portion thereof to support a middle portion of the torsionspring.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the rearpedal portion is composed of an upper plate, an intermediate plate and alower plate, protuberance installation grooves are defined in the upperplate such that the finger-pressure protuberances and the springs areinstalled in the protuberance installation grooves, the upper plate andthe intermediate plate are detachably coupled to each other by anengagement shoulder and an elastic projection, and the upper platehaving the intermediate plate coupled thereto is fastened to the lowerplate by a bolt.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

Thanks to the features of the lower body exercise device according tothe present invention, after a user has studied or done office work fora long time while sitting on a chair, if he or she wants to take a restor feels sleepy, the user can exercise lower body muscles by placingboth feet on the divided type pedals of respective exercise deviceswhile sitting erect by straightening himself or herself and by applyingforce to and pressing the pedals alternately or simultaneously. Bysequentially pressing the divided pedal portions of each pedal, allmuscles for moving a forefoot portion including five toes, a midfootportion and a heel portion, all muscles for moving the ankle, and allmuscles for pressing the foot are used. Therefore, since it is possibleto effectively exercise lower body muscles, various ill effects due tolack of exercise can be avoided and distracted attention can beconcentrated, whereby the efficiency of study and office work can beincreased.

Further, while the lower body muscles are exercised, the acupoints onthe soles of the feet are stimulated by finger-pressure protuberances onthe pedals. As a consequence, various internal organs of the human bodycan be activated and blood circulation can be promoted, whereby variousdiseases of the user can be naturally healed and the user's health canbe ameliorated. In particular, because the relative positions of pedalportions constituting each pedal can be easily changed in conformitywith the size of the user's foot, the exercise device can be commonlyused by all family members, and because the load of exercise can beadjusted in conformity with the physical strength of the user, lowerbody muscles can be exercised in an appropriate and efficient manner.

Moreover, in the present invention, by the fact that left and rightpedals are pivotably coupled to a single base plate, the number ofcomponent parts can be decreased, and since the exercise device has asimplified construction, the manufacturing cost can be reduced so that acustomer can purchase and use the device at a reasonable cost. Also,with the load of exercise adjusted in conformity with the user'sphysical strength, the positions and the pressures of thefinger-pressure protuberances can be regulated in conformity with theuser's physical characteristics.

The above objects, and other features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent after a reading of the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings. Beforedescribing the embodiments of the present invention, it is to beunderstood that the terms or words used in this description and thefollowing claims must not be construed to have meanings which aregeneral or can be found in a dictionary. Therefore, considering thenotion that an inventor can most properly define the concepts of theterms or words to best explain his or her invention, the terms or wordsmust be understood as having meanings or concepts that conform to thetechnical spirit of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a lower bodyexercise device in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention,

FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view illustrating the lower bodyexercise device in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the state in which the pivotframe portions shown in FIG. 2 are folded,

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view illustrating the lower body exercisedevice in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, withthe pivot frame portions unfolded,

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view illustrating the lower body exercisedevice in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, withthe pivot frame port ions folded,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the adjusted state of a pedaladjustor according to one embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating the adjusted state of pedalforce adjustment means according to one embodiment of the presentinvention,

FIG. 8 is sectional views illustrating the states in which pedalportions are sequentially pressed with a foot placed on the lower bodyexercise device in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a lower body exercise devicefor use in a sitting position in accordance with another embodiment ofthe present invention,

FIG. 10 is a partially exploded perspective view of the lower bodyexercise device for use in a sitting position shown in FIG. 9,

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the lower body exercise device for use in asitting position in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention,

FIG. 12 is a side view of the lower body exercise device for use in asitting position in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention,

FIG. 13 is side sectional views of the lower body exercise device foruse in a sitting position in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention,

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating the use of the lower body exercise devicefor use in a sitting position in accordance with another embodiment ofthe present invention,

FIG. 15 is a sectional view illustrating a variation of the pedal shownin FIG. 9, and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a lower body exercise devicefor use in a sitting position in accordance with still anotherembodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS FOR MAIN PARTS IN DRAWINGS

10,10′: base plates 11: shaft hole

12: support shaft 13: bobbin type washer

14: buffer pad 15: groove

20′: fixed shaft 21′: internal thread

20 a, 20 b: pivot frame portions 22 a, 22 b: pedal portions

22′: shaft bolt 23′: external thread

23: engagement part 24: buffer pad

25: finger-pressure protuberance 26: magnet

27: support member 30′: pivot frame

30 a′, 30 b′: first and second pivot frame portions

30 a, 30 b: repulsive members 31′: rear pedal portion

31 a′: upper plate 31 b′: intermediate plate

31 c′: lower plate

31 d′: protuberance installation groove

31 e′: bolt 32′: front pedal portion

33′: finger-pressure protuberance

34′, 35′: holes 36′: spring

40: pedal force adjustment means

40 a′, 40 b′: torsion springs 41: fixing block

41 a: fitting groove 42: bolt

43: guide groove 44: rear wall

45: hole 46: thumb nut

50: pedal adjustor

50′: elastic force adjustment means

51′: handle 52: movable element

52′: pinion 53′: lever

54: nut 54′: rack

55′: support part 56′: slider

56: thumb bolt 60: latch

61: guide groove 62: grip

64: engagement panel 66: slot

67: cap 70: cover

311: elastic projection 312: engagement shoulder

s: counter

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a lower bodyexercise device in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are assembled perspective views of the lowerbody exercise device in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention, respectively illustrating the folded and unfolded states ofpivot frame portions, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are side sectional viewsrespectively corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, a lower body exercise device accordingto the present embodiment includes a base plate 10 placed on a floor;pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b having first ends which are pivotablycoupled to one end of the base plate 10 by a shaft and second ends towhich pedal portions 22 a and 22 b are attached; a plurality ofrepulsive members 30 a and 30 b installed between the base plate 10 andthe pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b such that a pivot frameconstituted by the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b can be pressed andpivoted toward the base plate 10 by the application of external forceand the repulsive members 30 a and 30 b can upwardly bias the pivotframe to an original position when the external force is removed; andpedal force adjustment means 40 for adjusting the pedal force of a pedalcomposed of the pedal portions 22 a and 22 b by varying the elasticityof the repulsive members 30 a and 30 b.

The lower body exercise device according to the present embodimentfurther includes a pedal adjustor 50 for adjusting the width between thepedal portions 22 a and 22 b and a latch 60 for holding the pivot frameportions 20 a and 20 b folded to the base plate 10 when the exercisedevice is not in use.

While the repulsive members 30 a and 30 b are illustrated in the presentembodiment as comprising torsion springs as shown in the drawings, it isconceivable that the repulsive members comprise magnets for generatingrepulsive force between the upper surface of the base frame 10 and thelower surfaces of the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b, in place ofthe torsion springs. In the case of using magnets, the pedal force canbe adjusted by replacing the magnets with other ones having differentmagnetic force or adjusting a magnetic force application distance. Ofcourse, it is to be noted that these modifications fall under the scopeof the present invention.

The base plate 10 has shaft holes 11 defined at one end thereof topivotably couple the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b to the baseplate 10. A support shaft 12 is fitted through the shaft holes 11 suchthat the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b are pivotably coupled to thebase plate 10 by the support shaft 12. The intermediate portions of therepulsive members 30 a and 30 b are fitted on the support shaft 12. Atthis time, in order to prevent the support shaft 12 and the repulsivemembers 30 a and 30 b made of metallic materials from being brought intodirect contact with each other and ensure smooth operation of therepulsive members 30 a and 30 b during twisting and untwisting thereof,a bobbin type washer 13 made of synthetic resin is interposed betweenthe support shaft 12 and the repulsive members 30 a and 30 b.

A groove 15 is defined in the upper surface of one end, that is, thefront end, of the base plate 10 such that a buffer pad 14 is received inthe groove 15 to prevent a shock from occurring and noise from beinggenerated when the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b are pressed. Thegroove 15 provides a marginal space for allowing the pivot frameportions 20 a and 20 b to be assembled without applying a load to therepulsive members 30 a and 30 b when coupling the pivot frame portions20 a and 20 b to the base plate 10 by the support shaft 12. That is tosay, by inserting the first ends, that is, the front ends, of the pivotframe portions 20 a and 20 b into the groove 15 in the state in whichthe buffer pad 14 is not received in the groove 15, the pivot frameportions 20 a and 20 b can be assembled in the state in which they aremaximally separated from the base plate 10 so that the repulsive members30 a and 30 b are not twisted.

The pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b are formed in a manner such thatthe front relatively short pivot frame portion 20 a is accommodated inthe rear relatively long pivot frame portion 20 b and the front ends ofthe pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b are pivotably coupled to the baseplate 10 by the common support shaft 12.

The pedal portions 22 a and 22 b are pivotably coupled to the respectivesecond ends, that is, the rear ends, of the pivot frame portions 20 aand 20 b. The front pedal portion 22 a is installed to be capable ofmoving forward and rearward, and the rear pedal portion 22 b ispivotably coupled at a fixed position.

Therefore, in the exercise device according to the present embodiment,when used by another user having a different foot size, the pedalportion 22 a corresponding to the forefoot portion of the user can bemoved forward to conform to the increased size of the user or rearwardto conform to the decreased size of the user, as a result of which theexercise device can be commonly used by several people.

An engagement part 23, which is open in the forward direction, is formedon the lower surface of the rear end of the front pivot frame portion 20a such that the engagement part 23 can be held engaged with the basedplate 10 by the latch 60 which will be described later in detail. Abuffer pad 24 is attached to the lower surface of the rear end of therear pivot frame portion 20 b so as to prevent a shock from occurringand noise from being generated when the pedal portion 22 b is pressedand the pivot frame portion 20 b is brought into contact with the baseplate 10.

Preferably, as shown in the drawings, finger-pressure protuberances 25or magnets 26 for stimulating the sole of the foot when exercising thelower body muscles are formed on or attached to the pedal portions 22 aand 22 b. The finger-pressure protuberances 25 can be independently orareally detached from the pedal portions 22 a and 22 b so that thedistribution of the finger-pressure protuberances 25 can be altered inconformity with the size of a user's foot or the finger-pressureprotuberances 25 can be moved and attached to other positions desired byeach user. The pedal portions 22 a and 22 b are supported by supportmembers 27 so that they can be pivoted while being flexibly supported bythe support members 27.

As can be readily seen from the drawings, the support members 27 can beformed of elastomeric material to have a corrugated sectional shape.Alternatively, it is possible to use magnets for applying repulsiveforce between the lower surfaces of the pedal portions 22 a and 22 b andthe upper surfaces of the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b.

When the exercise device is used, the repulsive members 30 a and 30 ballow the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b to be unfolded from theupper surface of the base plate 10 as shown in FIG. 4 to define a largeangle therebetween, and when the exercise device is not used, therepulsive members 30 a and 20 b allow the pivot frame portions 20 a and20 b to be folded to the upper surface of the base plate 10 as shown inFIG. 5 to define a small angle therebetween. To this end, first ends ofthe repulsive members 30 a and 30 b are fitted into fitting grooves 41 adefined in the upper surface of a fixing block 41 which can be moved inthe forward and rearward directions on the lower surface of the baseplate 10. The fixing block 41 can be moved in the forward and rearwarddirections on the lower surface of the base plate 10 by the pedal forceadjustment means 40 in such a way as to change the degree to which therepulsive members 30 a and 30 b are twisted so that the elastic forceapplied to the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b can be adjusted to bedecreased or increased.

The repulsive members 30 a and 30 b are formed of spring steel.Preferably, the elasticity of the repulsive members 30 a and 30 b aredetermined such that the elasticity of the repulsive member 30 a isgreater than that of the repulsive member 30 b, so that the pedalportion 22 a corresponding to the forefoot portion and the midfootportion can be initially pressed by the application of small force andthe pedal portion 22 b corresponding to the rearfoot portion can bepressed by the application of large force.

As can be readily seen from the drawings, in the pedal force adjustmentmeans 40, a bolt 42 is fastened to the rear end of the fixing block 41defined with the fitting grooves 41 a into which the first ends of therepulsive members 30 a and 30 b are fitted. The bolt 42 passes through ahole 45 which is perforated through the rear wall 44 of the guide groove43 defined on the lower surface of the base plate 10. A thumb nut 46 isthreaded with the bolt 42 outside of the hole 45 such that the fixingblock 41 having the bolt 42 fastened thereto can be moved in the forwardand rearward directions in the guide groove 43 by rotating the thumb nut46. As the fixing block 41 is moved rearward, the angle defined by therepulsive members 30 a and 30 b decreases so that the force for upwardlybiasing the pivot frame portions 20 a and 20 b is increased, as a resultof which the pedal force of the pedal portions 22 a and 22 b can beincreased. In the similar manner, if the fixing block 41 is moved in theopposite direction, the pedal force of the pedal portions 22 a and 22 bcan be decreased. The reference numeral 70 designates a cover.

The pedal adjustor 50 adopts a threading adjustment scheme similar tothe pedal force adjustment means 40. The pedal adjustor 50 includes amovable element 52 which is flexibly coupled to the lower surface of thepedal portion 22 a, a nut 54 which is secured to the lower portion ofthe movable element 52 to be open in the forward and rearwarddirections, and a thumb bolt 56 which is installed to project out of therear end of the pivot frame portion 20 a and is threaded into the nut54.

The latch 60 is installed such that it can be moved in the forward andrearward directions along guide grooves 61 which are defined in thelengthwise middle portion of the base plate 10. To this end, grips 62are formed on both widthwise ends of the latch 60, and an engagementpanel 64 is formed on the widthwise middle portion of the latch 60 suchthat the engagement part 23 formed on the lower surface of the rear endof the pivot frame portion 20 a can be engaged with the engagement panel64. Slots 66 are defined in the base plate 10 to extend in the forwardand rearward directions such that the engagement part 23 of the pivotframe portion 20 a can be inserted through the slots 66. The unexplainedreference numeral 67 designates a cap for preventing the latch 60 fittedinto the guide grooves 61 from being unintentionally released.

FIG. 8 is sectional views illustrating the states in which the pedalportions are sequentially pressed with a foot placed on the lower bodyexercise device in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. First, in the exercise device according to the presentinvention, a user can exercise lower body muscles by placing both leftand right feet on two respective exercise devices while sitting erect ona chair by straightening himself or herself and by applying force to andpressing pedals alternately or simultaneously as if pedaling on abicycle. Initially, only the pedal portion 20 a corresponding to theforefoot portion is pressed and no substantial force is applied to thefoot. Then, with substantial force applied through the forefoot and therearfoot portions of the foot, the two pedal portions 22 a and 22 b aresimultaneously pressed.

Accordingly, since the pedal portions 22 a and 22 b are pressed suchthat the user initially applies force to the forefoot and the midfootportions of the foot and then finally applies force to the forefoot, themidfoot and the rearfoot portions of the foot, all the lower bodymuscles can be used and thereby exercised.

In other words, in the exercise device according to the presentinvention, instead of simply applying force to press a pedal, force mustbe applied to the forefoot portion including the five toes, the midfootportion, and the rearfoot portion including the heel so as to press thepedal portions 22 a and 22 b. Hence, not only the muscles associatedwith the foot but also the muscles of the leg for moving the ankle areused, whereby the lower body can be efficiently exercised in a sittingposture.

Furthermore, in the present invention, in addition to the exercise ofthe lower body as described above, since the sole of the foot isautomatically finger-pressed by the finger-pressure protuberances, theacupoints on the sole of the foot can be stimulated to accomplishfinger-pressure treatment effect. Thus, blood circulation between theupper and lower bodies and metabolism can be promoted, as a result ofwhich it is possible to aid in the treatment of lower body obesity, theabdominal and spinal muscles can be strengthened, and a sitting posturecan be straightened.

Hereinbelow, another embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to the attached drawings.

FIGS. 9 through 13 illustrate a lower body exercise device for use in asitting position in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention. The lower body exercise device according to the presentembodiment includes a base plate 10′ place on a floor; a fixed shaft 20′horizontally supported by the front end of the base plate 10′ at araised position; pivot frames 30′ pivotably coupled to the respectiveleft and right ends of the fixed shaft 20′; and torsion springs 40 a′and 40 b′ fitted on the fixed shaft 20′ and having both ends which aresupported by the pivot frames 30′ and the base plate 10′ such that thepivot frames 30′ can be held in a lifted state.

Each of left and right pivot frames 30′ is composed of a first pivotframe portion 30 a′ which has a relatively long length and a secondpivot frame portion 30 b′ which has a relatively short length. A rearpedal portion 31′ is pivotably coupled to the upper surface of the firstpivot frame portion 30 a′ so that a user's rearfoot portion can beplaced on the rear pedal portion 31′, and a front pedal portion 32′ ispivotably coupled to the rear upper surface of the second pivot frameportion 30 b′ so that the user's forefoot portion can be placed on thefront pedal portion 32′.

Holes 34′ and 35′ are defined through the front ends of the first andsecond pivot frame portions 30 a′ and 30 b′ such that a shaft bolt 22′to be detachably coupled to the fixed shaft 20′ is inserted through theholes 34′ and 35′. An external thread 23′ is formed on the distal end ofthe shaft bolt 22′, and an internal thread 21′ is formed in the fixedshaft 20′.

In the present embodiment, finger-pressure protuberances 33′ forstimulating the acupoints on the sole of a foot are attached onto thepedal portions 31′ and 32′. While the finger-pressure protuberances 33′can be formed to have the shape of simple protuberances as shown in thedrawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrate shapeof the finger-pressure protuberances. In this connection, it can beenvisaged that the finger-pressure of the finger-pressure protuberances33′ can be adjusted by the elasticity of springs 36′ as shown in FIG.15. pressing force of the finger-pressure protuberances (33′) can beadjusted by varying elasticity of springs (36′). In this variation shownin FIG. 15, the finger-pressure protuberances 33′ can be separated fromthe pedal portion 31′, and the springs 36′ comprise compression coilsprings. In order to increase finger-pressure, the springs 36′ can bereplaced with those having greater elasticity. Also, the finger-pressureprotuberances 33′ can be formed to have various sizes so thatfinger-pressure protuberances 33′ having different heights can beinstalled at proper positions on the sole of the foot.

In the variation shown in FIG. 15, the rear pedal portion 31′ iscomposed of an upper plate 31 a′, an intermediate plate 31 b′ and alower plate 31 c′. Protuberance installation grooves 31 d′ are definedin the upper plate 31 a′ such that the finger-pressure protuberances 33′and the springs 36′ are installed in the protuberance installationgrooves 31 d′. The upper plate 31 a′ and the intermediate plate 31 b′are coupled to each other by an engagement shoulder 312 and an elasticprojection 311 to be conveniently detached from each other. The upperplate 31 a′ having the intermediate plate 31 b′ coupled thereto isfastened to the lower plate 31 c′ by a bolt 31 e′.

In the present embodiment, the installation structure of thefinger-pressure protuberances and the springs is not limited to thatillustrated in the drawings and can be modified in a various ways by aperson having ordinary knowledge in the art without departing from thetechnical concept of the present invention.

In the present invention, the finger-pressure protuberances 33′ can bemade of rubber, soft silicon or soft plastic without using the springs36′.

The elastic force of the torsion spring 40 a′, which is installedbetween first pivot frame portions 30 a′ and the base plate 10′, can beadjusted in a multi-stepwise manner by elastic force adjustment means50′ which is arranged in the base plate 10′ so that a load of exercisecan be adjusted. Referring to FIG. 13, the elastic force adjustmentmeans 50′ includes a lever 53′ which has a handle 51′ attached to theupper end thereof and a pinion 52′ secured to the lower end thereof, anda slider 56′ which has a rack 54′ formed on one portion thereof to bemeshed with the pinion 52′ of the lever 53′ and a support part 55′formed in the shape of steps on the other portion thereof to support themiddle portion of the torsion spring 40 a′.

The elastic force adjustment means 50′ is not limited to the lever typeillustrated in the drawing and can adopt any other types as long as theelastic force of the torsion spring 40 a′ can be adjusted.

In a method for adjusting a load of exercise by the elastic forceadjustment means 50′, as can be readily seen from the side sectionalview of FIG. 13, as the lever 53′ is pushed forward, the slider 56′ isgradually moved forward, and the position of the support part 55′, whichsupports the middle portion of the torsion spring 40 a′, is movedupward. Due to this fact, the torsion of the torsion spring 40 a′ isincreased so that the first pivot frame portion 30 a′ can be lifted withincreased force. Therefore, since the user should increase the force forpressing the first pivot frame portion 30 a′, a load of exercise can beelevated.

On the contrary, in order to decrease a load of exercise, as the lever53′ is pushed rearward, the slider 56′ is gradually moved rearward, andthe position of the support part 55′, which supports the middle portionof the torsion spring 40 a′, is moved downward. Due to this fact, thetorsion of the torsion spring 40 a′ is decreased so that the pedalportion can be pressed with decreased force. The reference numeral 12′designates a support bar which is detachably coupled to the left andright sides of the base plate 10′ and functions to maintain the exercisedevice in a balanced state.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a lower body exercise devicefor use in a sitting position in accordance with still anotherembodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, acounter ‘s’ for counting the number of pressing the pedals isadditionally provided so that a user can check the amount of exercise.At this time, the counter ‘s’ is configured such that the number ofpressing the pedal is counted by sensing the pedal using a sensor (notshown) so that the amount of exercise can be numerically displayed.Since this configuration of the counter is well known in the art,detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art willappreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions arepossible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventionas disclosed in the accompanying claims.

1. A lower body exercise device for use in a sitting position,comprising: a base plate (10) placed on a floor; pivot frame portions(20 a and 20 b) having first ends which are pivotably coupled to one endof the base plate (10) by a shaft and second ends to which pedalportions (22 a and 22 b) are attached; a plurality of repulsive members(30 a and 30 b) installed between the base plate (10) and the pivotframe portions (20 a and 20 b) such that a pivot frame composed of thepivot frame portions (20 a and 20 b) can be pressed and pivoted towardthe base plate (10) by application of external force and the repulsivemembers (30 a and 30 b) can upwardly bias the pivot frame to an originalposition when the external force is removed; and pedal force adjustmentmeans (40) for adjusting pedal force of a pedal composed of the pedalportions (22 a and 22 b) by varying elasticity of the repulsive members(30 a and 30 b).
 2. The exercise device according to claim 1, whereinthe pedal portion (22 a) is moved forward and rearward by a pedaladjustor (50) so that relative positions of the pedal portions (22 a and22 b) can be changed to conform to a size of a user's foot.
 3. Theexercise device according to claim 1, further comprising: a latch (60)for holding the pivot frame portions (20 a and 20 b) folded to the baseplate (10).
 4. The exercise device according to claim 2, wherein thepedal adjustor (50) comprises a movable element (52) flexibly coupled toa lower surface of the pedal portion (22 a), a nut (54) secured to alower portion of the movable element (52) to be open in forward andrearward directions, and a thumb bolt (56) installed to project out of arear end of the pivot frame portion (20 a) and threaded into the nut(54).
 5. The exercise device according to claim 3, wherein the latch(60) has grips (62) formed on both widthwise ends thereof and anengagement panel (64) formed on a widthwise middle portion thereof suchthat an engagement part (23) formed on a lower surface of the rear endof the pivot frame portion (20 a) can be engaged with the engagementpanel (64), and is installed such that the latch (60) can be moved inthe forward and rearward directions along guide grooves (61) defined ina lengthwise middle portion of the base plate (10), and wherein slots(66) are defined in the base plate (10) to extend in the forward andrearward directions such that the engagement part (23) of the pivotframe portion (20 a) can be inserted through the slots (66).
 6. Theexercise device according to claim 1, wherein the pedal force adjustmentmeans (40) comprises a fixing block (41) into which first ends of therepulsive members (30 a and 30 b) are fitted, a bolt (42) which isfastened to a rear end of the fixing block (41), a guide groove (43)which is defined on a lower surface of the base plate (10), a hole (45)which is perforated through a rear wall (44) of the guide groove (43),and a thumb nut (46) which is threaded with the bolt (42) outside of thehole (45), such that the fixing block (41) having the bolt (42) fastenedthereto is moved in the forward and rearward directions in the guidegroove (43) by rotating the thumb nut (46).
 7. A lower body exercisedevice for use in a sitting position, comprising: a base plate (10′); afixed shaft (20′) horizontally supported by a front end of the baseplate (10′) at a raised position; pivot frames (30′) pivotably coupledto respective left and right ends of the fixed shaft (20′); and torsionsprings (40 a′ and 40 b′) fitted on the fixed shaft (20′) and havingboth ends which are supported by the pivot frames (30′) and the baseplate (10′) such that the pivot frames (30′) can be held in a liftedstate.
 8. The exercise device according to claim 7, wherein each of leftand right pivot frames (30′) is composed of a first pivot frame portion(30 a′) which has a relatively long length and a second pivot frameportion (30 b′) which has a relatively short length, a rear pedalportion (31′) is pivotably coupled to an upper surface of the firstpivot frame portion (30 a′) so that a user's rearfoot portion can beplaced on the rear pedal portion (31′), a front pedal portion (32′) ispivotably coupled to a rear upper surface of the second pivot frameportion (30 b′) so that the user's forefoot portion can be placed on thefront pedal portion (32′), holes (34′ and 35′) are defined through frontends of the first and second pivot frame portions (30 a′ and 30 b′) suchthat a shaft bolt (22′) to be detachably coupled to the fixed shaft(20′) is inserted through the holes (34′ and 35′), an external thread(23′) is formed on a distal end of the shaft bolt (22′), and an internalthread (21′) is formed in the fixed shaft (20′).
 9. The exercise deviceaccording to claim 8, wherein finger-pressure protuberances (33′) forstimulating acupoints on the sole of a foot are attached onto the rearand front pedal portions (31′ and 32′), and pressing force of thefinger-pressure protuberances (33′) can be adjusted by varyingelasticity of springs (36′).
 10. The exercise device according to claim8, wherein elastic force of the torsion spring (40 a′), which isinstalled between first pivot frame portions (30 a′) and the base plate(10′), can be adjusted in a multi-stepwise manner by elastic forceadjustment means (50′) which is arranged in the base plate (10′) so thata load of exercise can be adjusted.
 11. The exercise device according toclaim 10, wherein the elastic force adjustment means (50′) comprises alever (53′) which has a handle (51′) attached to an upper end thereofand a pinion (52′) secured to a lower end thereof, and a slider (56′)which has a rack (54′) formed on one portion thereof to be meshed withthe pinion (52′) of the lever (53′) and a support part (55′) formed inthe shape of steps on the other portion thereof to support a middleportion of the torsion spring (40 a′).
 12. The exercise device accordingto claim 9, wherein the rear pedal portion (31′) is composed of an upperplate (31 a′), an intermediate plate (31 b′) and a lower plate (31 c′),protuberance installation grooves (31 d′) are defined in the upper plate(31 a′) such that the finger-pressure protuberances (33′) and thesprings (36′) are installed in the protuberance installation grooves (31d′), the upper plate (31 a′) and the intermediate plate (31 b′) aredetachably coupled to each other by an engagement shoulder (312) and anelastic projection (311), and the upper plate (31 a′) having theintermediate plate (31 b′) coupled thereto is fastened to the lowerplate (31 c′) by a bolt (31 e′).